Hi there, it’s Jay from
SummitClimb calling in with another dispatch for the International Ama Dablam
Expedition. I’m sitting up here at 6000 meters in Camp Two, it’s a gorgeous
afternoon. Up here in Camp Two with me is Fury Sherpa and Mala Sherpa and
some of the Croatian Team that are here on the mountain also, and a couple of
the Russian team members that are here on the mountain. Some of those guys
actually summitted today. We’re not too sure why they turned back yesterday,
we haven’t been able to establish that, but they did summit today. So there
have been some summits on Ama Dablam this season. The rest of the team is
doing really well. Phil and Eric and John and Rick came up here for a climb
to Camp Two today and really thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Stewart and Paul
and Doug went back down to Base Camp and Larry’s taking a rest day down at
Base Camp as well. Andrew should be in Camp One or very close to Camp One as
I’m leaving this message. So I hope everything’s good back home, things are
fantastic here on the mountain. Everyone’s well and healthy and missing their
loved ones. I’ll send more news tomorrow. Goodbye.

Leader: Daniel Mazur, Ama
Dablam 4 time summiter, climber-leader-organizer of Everest, K2, and 12
"eight-thousand-metre-peaks", leading together with Jay Reilly, two time Ama
Dablam and two time Pumori summiter

Our expedition offers an
opportunity to climb this challenging semi-technical rock-ice-snow climb with
an experienced team, at an affordable price. We have organized five previous
expeditions to Ama Dablam, so our leaders and staff are very familiar with the
climb. In October 2003, fourteen of our members and 5 sherpas reached the
summit in all safety. It was our fifth successful ascent of the mountain. We
were fortunate in that the weather was ideal, the team cooperated together
well, our Sherpa climbing staff worked very hard, our equipment functioned
well, the food and hot drinks were well prepared, and the route was in
excellent condition. Please share in our congratulations to all of the team
members and thanks to everyone who helped and supported us, including our
generous sponsors. Nepal is indeed beautiful now and the pleasant weather and
calm conditions in this very peaceful and happy region made our expedition
especially enjoyable.

SOME FACTS ABOUT AMA DABLAM:
Ama Dablam is in the Khumbu valley, near to Mt. Everest, in the heart of the
Sherpa area of Nepal, and is considered by many to be the most famous
rock-ice-snow climb in all Asia. The name Ama Dablam means Mother’s Charm Box:
the high hanging serac located just below the summit resembling the Dablam or
Charm Box which unmarried Sherpa women used to wear around their necks. The
first ascent of the mountain was by Ed Hillary's Silver Hut expedition in 1961
when Bishop (USA), Gill, Romanes (NZ) and Ward (UK) reached the summit, via
the SW ridge, on 13 March after 20 days working on the route. Since then the
mountain has received about 500 ascents (not including Sherpas) mostly via the
SW ridge.

WHY THE SOUTH WEST RIDGE

Here is what one of our
previous top climb leaders (Jonathan Pratt, from Essex, England) had to say
about the route: “The easiest way to the top of Ama Dablam is via the SW
ridge, a semi-technical route, and considered to be the standard route.
Although there are several other routes on the mountain, they are all very
much harder than the SW ridge. The route has been considered to be a safe
route, free from objective danger, such as avalanche. It is a varied and
interesting route with loads of superb climbing - not just a huge snow slog,
unlike other Himalayan climbs. On Ama Dablam, the rock and ice is not
sustained but tends to come in short manageable sections.”

NOTE: Please don’t
underestimate this climb. Although there is only one 6 metre, 20 foot section
of grade British severe, or North America 5.5, (the rest of the climb is known
as "scrambling" or "4th class") there are complicating factors which you may
not find at home on your local crag and definitely not in the rock-gym. These
may include: ice, snow, high-altitude, temperature, weather, exposure, and
other factors.

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